Wildfire debris transfer 18% complete, Maui County reports

As of July 7, about 18% of the nonhazardous debris from the Lahaina wildfires has been moved from the Temporary Debris Storage site in Olowalu to the Permanent Disposal Site near the Central Maui Landfill in Puʻunēnē, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

Roughly 50 to 70 trucks per day are transporting the debris under normal conditions. Truck volume may be adjusted depending on traffic and weather, officials said.

Traffic updates

In response to traffic concerns from the public last week, flaggers are having fewer trucks travel together at the same time through the intersection of the cane haul road and Pūlehu Road. For the cane haul road area near Maui Veterans Highway, the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation has modified traffic signals and is continuing to monitor traffic.

Hauling began June 16

Trucking operations began on June 16, with debris moving along a roughly 19-mile route from Olowalu to Puʻunēnē.

The route travels along Honoapiʻilani Highway (HI-30) from Olowalu to Māʻalaea, then turns onto Kūihelani Highway (HI-380), before utilizing the cane haul roads between Waikō Road and the Permanent Disposal Site. Unauthorized vehicles are not allowed on the cane haul roads.

The debris being transferred—estimated at 400,000 tons, or the equivalent of five football fields stacked five stories high—is part of a joint effort by the County of Maui, FEMA, USACE, US EPA, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation and Department of Health.

The debris was cleared from 1,538 residential and commercial properties in Lahaina, and was temporarily stored at the site in Olowalu, as the county worked to identify, acquire and construct a permanent site. The location selected for the Permanent Debris Site was the Central Maui Landfill. In December 2024, the proposed acquisition of 79 acres – about 14 of which would be used for the disposal of Lahaina wildfire debris – was approved by the Maui County Council.

Residents can find maps, FAQs and the full transfer plan at MauiRecovers.org/debristransfer. For direct questions, the USACE Debris Hotline is available at (877) 214-9117.